Acceptance
by Meleigha
Summary: She had accepted many things in her life, but how much more?
1. Chapter 1

_You may have read this before, but I was asked to post it here too. I didn't use my usual screen name (farmgirl0012). Hopefully that won't cause any confusion. Anywhoo...read, enjoy, and review, please. _

Booth made it perfectly clear that he would not have a relationship with someone he worked with. Just too many blurred lines. Two years ago she would have agreed with him, but now…now things had changed. Sometimes she felt that he had forced his way into her life, but other times she felt such an acceptance of him. It was so confusing for her. Unconditional love wasn't something she had ever been on the receiving end of. Only the giving and the pain that went with it as the people in her life left her. Although she never expected anything more than a friendship out of Booth, somehow his declaration of no co-worker relationships made her stomach drop.

She chalked it up to something she'd eaten or not eaten as the case might have been. Definitely weren't feelings. Feelings were reserved for those who could love and be loved. Nope, definitely not feelings, not for Dr. Temperance Brennan.

Sitting there on the park bench listening to him, she begged her heart to stop fluttering about, but it seemed to ignore her and continue its out of rhythm beat.

They said their good-byes. She gave Parker a hug and a wave as he and Booth disappeared into the parking lot. She sat there alone watching the other families. The roles were all so clear. She guessed that was why anthropology made so much sense to her. No feelings, no emotional attachments, she could simply look at them from a scientific standpoint and understand their actions. Although she would never admit it, part of her longed for that emotional attachment. That sensation of knowing that someone loved her unconditionally, but some things in life just can't be. She had learned to accept that too.

Later that evening she ran into Booth and Parker at the diner. Being the gentleman that he was, Booth offered her to join them. She declined, using her all time favorite excuse…work. Her work was her rock. Without it she felt certain she would simply drop off the face of the earth. She existed through the bodies she identified, through the cases she and Booth solved. She thought without that, she was nothing. After all, it wasn't like she had a large cheering section.

Carrying the take out boxes up to her door, she paused and listened to the family that lived down the hall. A gentleman in his mid-thirties had just opened the door to his families' apartment. It sounded like they were welcoming a hero home from war. Laughing, talking, hugging, they were just happy to see him; he made their family complete. Temperance made her family complete. It was just her, but deep down she longed for someone to welcome her home. She wasn't willing to accept that she was lonely.

Eating take out and working on her novel was the highlight of her day. She only had herself to answer to. The clock chased itself to morning and she was still on her couch. Another sleepless night, oh well. It wasn't like someone was waiting for her to come to bed or waiting for her to tuck them in. So many nights she just watched the hours pass. She had accepted the fact that she was alone, but not lonely.

Work was work. She did her job; Booth did his. They had a new case. Teenage girl murdered by a relative. Booth could get a confession out of a brick wall if it did the crime. He understood people. He knew how they worked, what made them tick. She only understood pain. She guessed that was why it was easy for her to figure out the puzzle. To understand the clues they had left her. They were clues of pain and she knew how that worked. His role; her role, she had accepted this.

The week was a blur. It was Friday. Everyone had plans, everyone except her. She would never let anyone know that. She hated it when people felt sorry for her. This was her life and although it might not have been the most attractive life, it was still hers. Hers…there were few things in this life she could call hers. She had accepted that better than most.

She had decided on Italian for dinner and she knew a great little Italian restaurant on the other side of town. She called ahead and placed her order. Driving to the restaurant, she listened to the radio and sang along with the songs she knew. She pulled into a front parking space and there in the corner booth sat her partner. His elbows were propped on the table as he stared off into the hazel eyes of his date. She would laugh; he would laugh. They looked very happy. Happy…she often wondered what that feeling was like. She had never really felt it. She continued to watch them. They displayed all the correct gestures for a dating couple, but she didn't understand most of them. Too emotionally based she thought to herself. She got out of her car and went inside. In a matter of minutes she was back and took one last look at Booth. This time he saw her too. He jumped as if to get up and invite her over, but she just waved started up her car and drove away. Once again her stomach dropped and her heart began to flutter. She would not…could not accept this feeling that was growing inside of her.

Pulling up at her building, she noticed all the lights of other apartments on. They looked so warm and inviting. For a second she let herself yearn for that kind of warmth and then she told herself it was just an appearance and since when did she care about appearances. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and reached for her keys. Fumbling with them, she finally managed to unlock the door and let herself in. She flipped on the light and set the boxes on the coffee table. Grabbing herself a beer, she turned on the T.V. and slouched down on the couch. She methodically scrolled through the channels until she found a movie she could get lost in. Her head ached from all the paperwork, but the growing pain in her heart was much worse. It was a pain she knew all too well and there was no way she was going to accept it again.

Booth pulled up outside Bones building. He stared up at the window noticing the glow of the T.V. No lights, just the T.V., it seemed so cold, so lonely. He didn't know what to say. He didn't have a reason for coming here. It was just like his heart drew him closer to her. She never asked for anything, never expected anything. Maybe that's why he'd fallen head over heals for her. Would she be able to accept him? That question scared him too much. He decided to leave.

Not paying attention always managed to be disastrous for her. Dropping sauce down her shirt was just another example. She took the boxes to the kitchen and headed for the bedroom. Pulling off her clothes and dumping them into a pile on the floor, she found an old college CREW tee shirt and slipped it on. She wondered back to the couch, another beer in hand and attempted to find something else to get lost into. She had accepted that work was pointless tonight.

She hated sappy love story movies, but she couldn't resist getting lost into it as she flipped through the channels. Love…why does it come so easy for some and so hard for others. Everyone seemed to be on the look out for their true love. She had decided long ago that true love looked at her and laughed. Love wasn't a necessity in order to live; she had decided, but Booth would fervently disagree. She had tried to love, but just found it too one sided. And why would you put your heart on the line if you knew it was going to be broken. She had accepted that her heart would always be broken if she decided to fall in love, and so her mind swore to never do so. The only problem was her heart never listened to her head.

Before long the movie was over and the clock was pleading with her to go to bed. She stretched, released a big yawn, and reached for the remote to turn the T.V. off. A few hours of sleep might be a good thing. That is if she could sleep.

It was two in the morning and Booth found himself outside her building for the second time. He saw the glow disappear from her window and he knew that if he was going to talk to her now had to be the time. He hopped out of the SUV, sprinted to the door, and up the stairs. Knock…it wasn't that difficult of a task, but for some reason he couldn't manage to get his hand to cooperate. He heard her footsteps growing closer, but how could she know he was there. Then he heard the click as she locked the door.

"Bones," he whispered barely audible.

The click came again and her head poked out around the corner.

"Booth, what are you doing here," she questioned squinting her eyes from the glare of the hallway lights.

Booth shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Well…come on in," she motion him through the door. The door closed and Brennan walked toward her perch on the couch. Once Booth's eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, he locked the door and followed her to the couch.

"How many times…"

"I know…lock the door and look out the peep hole before opening the door," she cut him off before he could finish his lecture.

They sat on the couch for a few minutes, neither saying a word. They both had accepted that many times they didn't need to talk. Booth was memorized by how beautiful she was. She glanced up at him hoping that he couldn't read her heart as well as he read her mind.

He inched toward her. She froze, darting her eyes at everything but him. He gently cradled her chin in his hand as his eyes pleaded for her to look at him. He finally caught her gaze.

They stared into each other's eyes and she realized that he could read her heart like a children's picture book.

He leaned in; she leaned it. Their lips met.

Maybe she needed to rethink her outlook on life. She could accept that.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

He pulled away from her still cradling her chin. Flashing her a smile, he dropped his hand, sat back on the couch and stretched his arms behind his head. She was glad he could rest his head, but her head was swimming along with her heart. For a brief second she listened to her heart and all the wonderful emotions that she had become wrapped up in, but it was only for a second. Her head chimed in with the harsh reality she was used to dealing with. One would have assumed that her heart would be bitter after all the pain and broken promises she'd been dealt in life, but the funny thing about her heart was it always forgot and forgave. Not her mind though. Every minute alone, every tear shed, every good-bye was cataloged. It was like her mind kept a photo album of loss, broken hearts, and disappointment just to remind her not to listen to her heart again.

He could see the confusion in her eyes, but he wasn't sure what to do or say. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but he knew all to well that words didn't hold water with Bones. It was a person's actions that she looked for. She would watch them, analyze them, and then make her decision. It was just the first wall of many someone had to crumble. Though most didn't take the time. He accepted the challenges she put forth, because the rewards were well worth it. He had never known such a strong, independent, loving woman before. Maybe that was the reason he'd fallen head over heals.

Finally her eyes settled and he knew she had made a decision. Heart, head, or maybe if he was luckily a mixture. He knew all too well that her head would never take a back seat when it came to decision making, but he was hoping that maybe, just maybe he had come through enough walls that her heart could have a little input. He also knew that before this night was over, he would be probed and prodded with questions, looks, and more or less trial by fire. He knew this; he wasn't ready for it, but he had accepted long ago that this was what made her tick.

Now to find the words to begin was always the hardest part for her. She always knew she was too direct too scientific, but never really cared. That was until Booth. She could ignore the pain that would flash up in strangers' eyes, but not Booth's. So she took her time, gave it some thought, and managed to get all of her thoughts into a logical, understanding form of speech.

She turned to get his attention, but much to her surprise he was already focused on her. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. He knew her all too well. No one else would have taken the time or the patience to sit in utter silence until she could get everything figured out. But Booth would. She let a long sigh escape her lips before she tried to begin.

"Booth," she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, "I'm not really sure what this just meant. On Sunday, you made it very clear that you would not have a relationship with a co-worker, but your actions here tonight said something much differently at least to me they did." She glanced up at him and then back down to her hands.

"Bones," he ducked his head down, searching for her eyes. When he found them and held them with his gaze, he continued, "First, this meant more to me than words will ever do justice. Secondly, you're not a co-worker; you're my partner. And third, this did say something. It said that I care a great deal for you. More than partners, more than best friends, but I don't want to push. I just want to be here or there or anywhere as long as it is with you."

He felt a wave of success wash over him as she smiled. But she wasn't done; not by a long shot; he knew this. Round number two was gearing up, he could tell by the way her back stiffened and the concerned look that appeared in her eyes. He knew her heart and mind were playing tug of war. One wanting to protect her; the other wanting her to live.

"Who was she?" the words blurted out of her mouth.

There was a hint of pain in the way she said it and although it made his heart ache; he was glad she asked. That meant she was at least listening to her heart, because normally her head would have just made a closed statement without the opportunity to dispute her theory.

Booth knew that she would only accept the most truthful answer. No dancing around words, no white lies, the truth was what she expected, deserved, and that was what he would give her.

"Her name is Carrie Beth. She's a physical therapist at a children's hospital. I've known her for several years and we've been out a few times together," he paused.

He reached out and placed her hands in his as he saw the pain forming in her eyes. He didn't want to continue, but knew that she expected him to fully answer her question.

"I called her up Wednesday night and asked her out," he finished.

She knew that he wasn't trying to hurt her. She asked for the answers and that was what she was getting. Her heart sank and her mind began offering condolences. She never imagined herself in a fairy tale ending. Never hoped for more than she received. This way life wasn't so disappointing. She knew better than to get wrapped up in such silliness of a kiss. It was just a kiss. She had accepted that life just gave some people left overs and that included her.

"Is there anything else?" she asked

Hearing the growing pain in her voice was more than he could bear. As his hand reached to her check, her eyes flinched with the tenderness of his touch. He slid his hand down her neck and traced her jaw line with his thumb. After several minutes of silence, he licked his lips to continue.

"She's an attractive woman, but…she's not you. Even she knew that. After I saw you leaving the restaurant, she leaned over, took my hands and told me to listen very carefully. She told me that true love could cross-continents and that was why it was so rare. So few people ever got to meet their true love. Life leads them in other directions and they have an emptiness that's never filled. She said that I didn't have the emptiness she once in me two years ago. She told me to catch you and never let you go, because someone who has the ability to fill such a vast void has the right to know that she is loved too."

Her eyes jumped as if she didn't understand what he just said. He was sitting there looking intently at her beautiful features. He had to chuckle when he saw her reaction.

She had to be dreaming, but then again, no, because even in her dreams she was alone and unloved. She tried to figure out just how all of this had happened, but couldn't come up with a clear and logical conclusion.

He began to lean toward her, and her towards him. As his lips found hers, she accepted that logic would have to wait.


End file.
